Convertible vehicle storage rack

ABSTRACT

A convertible roof rack is provided that is generally comprised of a light bar and a roof rack that is spaced from the roof of a vehicle. The roof rack is also rotatably interconnected to a support structure associated with the rear of the vehicle such that it is capable of moving from a first position of use adjacent to the roof to a second position of use away from the roof where the light bar remains interconnected to the vehicle adjacent to the windshield. As such, electrical connections associated with the light bar remain intact when the roof rack is rotated away from the roof.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/586,769, filed May 4, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,358,095,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/942,489,filed Jul. 15, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,676,343, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/861,034, filed Aug.23, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,496,146, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/237,177, filed Aug. 26, 2009,each of which is incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.

This application is also related to abandoned U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2005/0082326, filed Sep. 24, 2004, U.S. Pat. No.D578,952, filed Feb. 20, 2008, U.S. Pat. No. D512,783, filed Jun. 4,2003, and U.S. Pat. No. D508,015, filed Mar. 17, 2003, the entiredisclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are generally related to storageracks for interconnection to a motor vehicle. More specifically, oneembodiment of the present invention is a vehicle storage rack withlighting elements associated with a fixed portion that also includes aselectively movable portion that is capable of moving from a firstposition of use to a second position of use without having to disconnectassociated wiring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Storage racks are often installed on vehicles to permit carryingadditional items that will not fit within the vehicle or are notdesirable to carry in the vehicle. Storage racks also often accommodatea variety of lights, such as fog lights. It is sometimes necessary toremove the storage rack to make modifications to the vehicle. Forexample, the storage rack of some vehicles must be removed in order togain access to various roof elements for removal or replacement. Thatis, in order to facilitate changing the exterior of a vehicle, the roofrack must be removed. This is often a cumbersome and difficult taskwherein the aforementioned lights and associated wiring must be removed.To complicate this task, roof racks are often heavy, and may bedifficult and/or dangerous to remove and replace by a lone individual.

Another drawback of the roof racks of the prior art is that they areoften hard-mounted to the vehicle, which requires the drilling ofadditional holes into the vehicle. If drilled by the end user, theseholes are often located incorrectly, thereby requiring re-drilling, andpossibly, decreasing the resale value of the vehicle. Thus it would bedesirable to provide a storage rack that is easily interconnected to avehicle without requiring permanent modifications to the vehicle.

Thus it is a long felt need to provide a roof storage rack that iseasily installed on a vehicle and that is easy to remove, completely orpartially, from the vehicle so that the vehicle may be accessed ormodified. It is also desirable to provide a storage rack that allows forlights and other electrical components associated with the vehiclestorage rack to remain interconnected to the power source of thevehicle. The following disclosure describes an improved vehicle storagerack that allows front mounted lights to be maintained with the rackwhen another portion of the rack is moved to provide access to variousareas of the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one aspect of embodiments of the present invention to provide aroof storage rack (“roof rack”) for installation on a vehicle. The roofrack of one embodiment of the present invention includes a light bar foraccommodating at least one light that is interconnected to the vehicleadjacent to the windshield and selectively interconnected to the roofrack. The roof rack of this embodiment of the present invention is alsointerconnected to a support bar that is rotatably interconnected tomembers that are associated with a rear portion of the vehicle. Oneadvantage of embodiments of the present invention is that the roof rackis installed by using existing holes and/or standard hardware of thevehicle so that no modifications need to be made to the vehicle.

It is another aspect of one embodiment of the present invention toprovide a roof rack that includes a light bar that remainsinterconnected to the vehicle when the roof rack is moved therefrom.More specifically, one embodiment of the present invention employs alight bar that is firmly associated with a windshield frame of avehicle. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, often the lightsassociated with a light bar, such as fog lights, include a plurality ofwires that are interconnected to the power source of the vehicle. Thesewires are often fed through the tubular structure of the light bar andinterconnected to the battery of the vehicle. In one embodiment of thepresent invention, the light bar remains fixed to the vehicle roofand/or windshield frame such that removal of the remainder of the roofrack from the roof does not require disconnection of the lights.

It is another aspect of one embodiment of the present invention toprovide a roof rack that is relatively easy to install. Morespecifically, one advantage of embodiments of the present invention isthat no additional holes need to be drilled into the vehicle forinstallation. That is, embodiments of the present invention utilizeholes and/or fasteners of the vehicle frame and/or body. Further, oneembodiment of the present invention uses both the vehicle frame and bodyto provide a stable roof rack that helps prevent roof rack sway. Aplurality of wear plates may be glued or otherwise interconnected to thevehicle to prevent vehicle marring or wear from portions of the roofrack that are positioned adjacent to the vehicle body. As such, the roofrack may be easily installed and removed without damaging the vehicle,which improves the potential resale value thereof.

It is another aspect of one embodiment of the present invention toprovide a roof rack that may be installed and operated by a singleindividual. More specifically, the roof rack may be disassembled intoeasy to handle pieces that facilitate integration onto the vehicle. Inoperation, the roof rack is designed to rotate away from the roof andthe light bar and then be supported by a lanyard, rope, tether or bungeethat interconnects the roof rack to the light bar. Roof racks ofembodiments of the present invention are thus able to achieve thecontemplated rotation under the force and guidance of one individual,which will be described in further detail below.

It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a roof rackthat is adapted to receive other items, such as a ladder, a sun roofinsert, and other equipment, as described in some of theabove-identified references.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a convertibleroof rack adapted for use with a vehicle comprising: a light bar adaptedto interconnect to a vehicle adjacent a windshield thereof; a firstsupport tower and a second support tower, each interconnected to theframe of the vehicle adjacent to the rear thereof; a support bar havinga first leg operably interconnected to the first support tower and asecond leg operably interconnected to the second support tower; a roofrack interconnected on one end to the support bar between the first legand the second leg, the roof rack being selectively interconnected onanother end to the light bar; and wherein the roof rack is capable ofmovement from a first position of use adjacent to the roof of thevehicle to a second position of use away from the roof of the vehiclewhile the light bar remains interconnected to the vehicle.

It is still yet another aspect of the present invention to provide aconvertible roof rack adapted for use with a vehicle comprising: a lightbar adapted to interconnect to a vehicle adjacent to a windshieldthereof; a means for supporting interconnected to the vehicle; a roofrack rotatably interconnected on one end to the means for supporting,the roof rack being selectively interconnected on another end to thelight bar; wherein the roof rack is capable of movement from a firstposition of use adjacent to the roof of the vehicle to a second positionof use away from the roof of the vehicle while the means for supportingremains associated with the vehicle; and wherein the light bar remainsfixed to the vehicle regardless of the position of the roof rack.

It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a method ofusing a convertible roof rack adapted for use with a vehicle comprising;interconnecting a light bar to a vehicle adjacent to a windshieldthereof using existing vehicle hardware; interconnecting a first supportmember and a second support member to the frame of the vehicle;interconnecting the support bar to the first support member and thesecond support member; interconnecting the roof rack to a support bar;moving the roof rack to a first position of use by rotating the supportbar towards a roof of the vehicle; interconnecting the roof rack to thelight bar; and moving the roof rack to a second position of use byrotating the support bar away from the roof of the vehicle whilemaintaining the position of the light bar.

The Summary of the Invention is neither intended nor should it beconstrued as being representative of the full extent and scope of thepresent invention. Moreover, references made herein to “the presentinvention” or aspects thereof should be understood to mean certainembodiments of the present invention and should not necessarily beconstrued as limiting all embodiments to a particular description. Thepresent invention is set forth in various levels of detail in theSummary of the Invention as well as in the attached drawings and theDetailed Description of the Invention and no limitation as to the scopeof the present invention is intended by either the inclusion ornon-inclusion of elements, components, etc. in this Summary of theInvention. Additional aspects of the present invention will become morereadily apparent from the Detail Description, particularly when takentogether with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the general description of the invention given above andthe detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explainthe principles of these inventions.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roof rack of one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a light bar of one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a support bar of one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of support towers of one embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of support plates of one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of a vehicle of one embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vehicle shown in FIG. 6 withinterconnected light bar;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of a vehicle of one embodiment of thepresent invention shown with interconnected support tower;

FIG. 9 is a detailed view of FIG. 8 showing the interconnection of thesupport tower;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a detailed view similar to that of FIG. 9 wherein a supportplate is additionally interconnected to the support tower;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of the vehicle and support bar shown intwo positions of use;

FIG. 13 is a rear elevation view of the vehicle showing theinterconnected support bar;

FIG. 14 is a detailed view of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a detailed view of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of a vehicle with interconnectedsupport bar and vehicle rack;

FIG. 17 is a partial perspective view of the vehicle rack interconnectedto the light bar;

FIG. 18 is a front detail view of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a rear perspective view of the roof rack system of oneembodiment of the invention with an optional ladder interconnectedthereto;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a light bar of another embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 21 is a partial perspective view of a vehicle of one embodiment ofthe present invention with the light bar of FIG. 20 interconnectedthereto;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the light bar of FIG. 20 with lights ofone embodiment interconnected thereto;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the light bar of FIG. 20 with lights ofanother embodiment interconnected thereto;

FIG. 24 is a rear elevation view of a vehicle for receiving oneembodiment of the present invention shown with a rear bumper end capremoved;

FIG. 25 is a detailed view of FIG. 24 showing the interconnection of theclamp plate to the vehicle's frame;

FIG. 26 is a detailed view of FIG. 24 showing the interconnection of aframe extension plate;

FIG. 27 is a partial perspective view of the frame extension plateinterconnected to a vehicle;

FIG. 28 is a bottom view of FIG. 27 showing the frame extension plate;

FIG. 29 is a rear elevation view of a vehicle showing theinterconnection of the support tower to the vehicle;

FIG. 30 is a detailed view of FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a sun roof insert that optionallyinterconnects to the roof rack; and

FIG. 32 is a detailed view of FIG. 31 showing the interconnection of theinsert to the roof rack.

To assist in the understanding of one embodiment of the presentinvention the following list of components and associated numberingfound in the drawings is provided herein:

#COMPONENT

-   -   2 Roof rack system    -   6 Light bar    -   10 Roof rack    -   14 Support bar    -   18 Support tower    -   22 Vehicle    -   26 Roof    -   30 Windshield    -   34 Windshield frame    -   38 Light    -   42 Screw    -   46 Outer bracket    -   50 Inner bracket    -   54 Inner body    -   58 Outer body    -   62 Lip    -   66 Clamp portion    -   70 Pinch plate    -   74 Screw    -   78 Isolator    -   82 Wear plate    -   86 Support plate    -   90 Stud    -   94 Frame    -   98 Collar    -   102 Bolt    -   106 Washer    -   110 Shoulder washer    -   114 Flange    -   118 Bracket    -   122 Bolt    -   126 Isolator    -   130 Washer    -   134 Jam nut    -   138 Bolts    -   142 Nut    -   146 Light bar plate    -   150 Roof rack plate    -   154 Ladder    -   158 Bracket    -   162 Clamp plate    -   166 Frame extension plate    -   170 Rear bumper end cap    -   174 Lower nut and washer    -   178 Carriage bolts    -   182 Rear frame    -   186 Tail pipe support    -   190 Rear bumper    -   194 Bumper bolt    -   198 Tail pipe    -   202 Inner body flange    -   206 Inner body sheet metal wall    -   210 Sunroof Insert    -   212 Lower edge portion    -   214 Ear    -   218 Lower roof rack tube    -   222 Clamp    -   226 Bolt    -   230 Knob    -   234 Upper roof rack tube

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale.In certain instances, details that are not necessary for anunderstanding of the invention or that render other details difficult toperceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, thatthe invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodimentsillustrated herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1-19, a convertible roof rack system 2 of oneembodiment of the present invention is shown. More specifically, theconvertible roof rack system 2 is comprised of a light bar 6, a roofrack 10, a support bar 14, and support towers 18 that are all operablyinterconnected to a vehicle 22. The roof rack 10 is placed above theroof 26 of the vehicle 22 and adjacent to a rear end and windshield 30thereof. The support bars 14 are rotatably interconnected to the supporttowers 18 and are thus able to move from a first position of useadjacent to the roof 26 to a second position of use away from thevehicle 22. A front end of the roof rack 10 is selectivelyinterconnected to the light bar 6, which is firmly interconnected on thewindshield frame 34 adjacent to the windshield 30 of the vehicle 22.Thus, the roof rack 10 may be rotated away from the roof 26 of thevehicle 22 while the light bar 6 remains in place.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 6, 7, and 20-23 the light bar 6 of oneembodiment of the present invention is shown. In FIG. 7, lights 38 areshown interconnected to the light bar 6 in the remaining other views ofthe application, the lights are omitted for clarity. One skilled in theart will appreciate that any number of lights 38 or other electroniccomponentry, such as speakers, neon lights, signs, etc., may beassociated with the light bar 6 in any fashion without departing fromthe scope of the invention. The light bar 6 is adapted to beinterconnected to lights 38 of various sizes and shapes. For example, inFIG. 22, lights 38 are rectangular and in FIG. 23, lights 38 arecircular.

The light bar 6 is preferably a tubular structure that is interconnectedto the windshield frame 34 that is adjacent to the windshield 30 of thevehicle 22. Some vehicles 22 include a plurality of screws 42 for roofracks that are associated with the windshield frame 34 and are locatedadjacent to the windshield 30. In operation, these screws 42 are removedand replaced or reused to interconnect an outer bracket 46 and an innerbracket 50 of the light bar 6 to the windshield frame 34. Thereafter,the wires associated with electronic components associated with thelight bar 6 are then interconnected to the power source of the vehicle22. In one embodiment, an electrical connector is in association withthe light bar and the electrical connector is in electricalcommunication with the power source of the vehicle 22.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 8-11, the interconnection of the supporttowers 18 to the vehicle is shown. Vehicles 22 in which embodiments ofthe present invention are preferably interconnected include an innerbody 54 and an outer body 58 that are interconnected to form adownwardly extending lip 62. The support tower 18 of embodiments of thepresent invention includes a clamp portion 66 that includes a pinchplate 70 and is associated with a screw 74. In operation, tightening ofthe screw 74 sandwiches the lip 62 between the clamp portion 66 of thesupport tower 18 and the pinch plate 70 to hold the support tower 18 inplace. It should be understood, however, that in some instances drillingof holes may be required to interconnect the support tower or othercomponents described herein. The support tower 18 may also include aload isolating member, i.e. an isolator 78, which is interconnectedbetween the support tower 18 and a wear plate 82 that is adhered to thevehicle 22. In operation, vibrational loads associated with a supporttower 18 are transferred through the isolator 78 to the wear plate 82,thereby protecting the vehicle 22 from any loads or abrasions.Preferably, the isolator 78 of one embodiment is made of nylon. One ofskill in the art will appreciate that the support tower may be omittedwherein the support bar is selectively interconnected to a base plate 84that is associated with the clamp portion 66.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 11, in order to further strengthen theinterconnection between the support tower 18 and the vehicle 22, asupport plate 86 may be utilized. The support plate 86 interconnects toa stud 90 of the support tower 18 on one end and to a frame 94 of thevehicle 22 on the other end. It is contemplated that the interconnectionwith the frame 94 is achieved by utilizing holes and fasteners normallyused to interconnect the bumper (not shown) to the vehicle 22. That is,the bumpers of many vehicles are interconnected to the frame by aplurality of bolts and it is contemplated that those bolts be removed tointerconnect the support plates 86 to the frame 94. Thereafter, abracket (not shown) would be utilized that would share those bolts andprovide a location for the re-interconnection of the bumper to the frame94. The support plate 86 thus allows bending loads that would force thesupport tower away from the vehicle to be transferred directly to theframe 94. One of skill in the art will appreciate that the towers 18 maybe omitted where the support bars 14 are alternatively interconnected tothe support plates 86.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 12 and 15, the support bar 14 is shown thatsupports the rear of the vehicle rack 10 and is rotatably interconnectedto the support tower 18. Preferably, the support tower 18 includes acollar 98 that receives a portion of the support bar 14 and is held inplace by a bolt 102 that is associated with a washer 106 with aplurality of shoulder washers 110 therebetween. One skilled in the artwill appreciate that other interconnection methods, such as a clevis,may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention. Thebolt 102 interconnects a flange 114 of the support bar 14 with the bolt102 resting within the collar 98 of the support flange 114. Thus, thesupport bar 14 is capable of moving from a first position of useadjacent to the roof 26 of the vehicle 22 to a second position of useaway therefrom.

Referring to FIG. 14, in order to further reduce sway of the roof rack,the support bar 14 may also include a bracket 118 that receives a bolt122 with an interconnected isolator 126. In one embodiment of thepresent invention, the isolator 126 is made of rubber and interacts witha washer 130 or wear plate that is interconnected to the vehicle 22 withadhesive. A jam nut 134 may also be used to ensure that the isolator 126remains firmly associated with the washer 130. The isolator 126 may beinterconnected anywhere along the length of the support bar 14 so longcontact is made with the vehicle or associated wear plate.

Referring now to FIG. 16-18, the operation of one embodiment of thepresent invention is shown. In operation, the roof rack 10 isinterconnected to the support bar 14, which is rotatably interconnectedto the support towers 18. In order to move the roof rack 10 to the firstposition of use adjacent to the roof 26, one would push the support bar18 and rotate the roof rack 10 towards the roof 26 of the vehicle 22. Itis important to note that the roof rack 10 in the second position of usemay be supported by a piece of wood or other items associated with theground. More preferably, however, a lanyard (not shown) isinterconnected to the light bar 6 on one end and to the roof rack 10 onthe other end, to prevent over rotation of the roof rack 10 past itssecond position of use. After the roof rack 10 is placed in the firstposition of use, as succinctly shown in FIG. 17, the bolts of FIG. 14are tightened to place the isolators in contact with the washers,thereby substantially reducing sway of the roof rack 10.

Finally, the roof rack is interconnected to the light bar 6 as shown inFIGS. 17 and 18 by way of a plurality of bolts 138 and nuts 142 that areused to interconnect a light bar plate 146 to a roof rack plate 150. Oneskilled in the art will appreciate that an additional lanyard or safetymechanism may be interconnected such that if the bolts 138 were tobecome loose, the roof rack 10 would remain interconnected to the lightbar 6. Although a traditional nut 142 and bolt 138 configuration isshown in FIG. 18, one skilled in the art will appreciate that a bolt 138with a larger head that facilitates hand tightening may be used such asshown in FIG. 14 may be used to facilitate use of the convertible roofrack without tools.

FIG. 19 shows an optional ladder 154 interconnected to the roof racksystem 2 of one embodiment of the present invention. The ladder 154 isinterconnected to the roof rack 10 by way of a bracket 158 and to thesupport bar 14 such that the ladder 154 will travel with the roof rack10 and the support bar 14. That is, as shown, the ladder 154 isinterconnected solely to the roof rack 10 and associated supportstructure such that it moves with the roof rack. Those of skill in theart will appreciate, however, that the ladder 154 may be interconnectedto vehicle and the roof rack 10 such that the user must disconnect theladder 154 from the vehicle and/or the roof rack 10 prior to moving theroof rack 10. In addition, as the ladder 154 further interconnects theroof rack 10 to the support bar 14, enhanced stiffening is provided andsway is reduced. One of skill in the art will appreciate that the ladder154 may be interconnected on the left side of the vehicle 22, the rightside or two ladders may be provided. The contemplated ladder does notinterfere with any moving or stationary part of the vehicle such as aswing gate tire carrier, rear tail lights, rear window openings, etc.

In order to accommodate some types of vehicles, a frame extension may berequired, which is shown in FIGS. 24-30. That is, in some instances thevehicle is such that the support plate 86 (see FIG. 11) does not easilyinterface with the vehicle frame and an extension is required. Theextension of comprised of a clamp plate 162 and a frame extension plate166 that are interconnected to the vehicle's rear frame 182. In order tointerconnect the frame extension plate 166, a rear bumper end cap 170 isremoved from the rear bumper 190 by disengaging a lower nut and washer174. The clamp plate 162 is then positioned behind the rear frame 182and secured with carriage bolts 178 to the frame extension plate 166 bynuts and washers 198 threaded onto the carriage bolts 178. The clampplate 162 is preferably positioned to the rear of the exhaust tail pipesupport 186 proximate to the tail pipe 198. The frame extension plate166 is also interconnected to the bumper bolt 194 with the lower nut andwasher 174. In a preferred embodiment, NYLOK® nuts, i.e., locking nutsthat include a nylon collar insert, are used to fasten the frameextension plate 166.

The frame extension plate 166 may be adjustably positioned to a desireddistance away from the frame 182. In one embodiment, the spacing betweenthe frame 182 and the frame extension plate 166 is 2⅝ inches. Similar tothe embodiments described above, the support tower 18 includes a clampportion 66 that includes a pinch plate 70. The pinch plate 70 ispositioned onto an inner body flange 202 such that it rests flushagainst the inner body sheet metal wall 206 and on a lower edge portion212. In operation, tightening the screw 74 sandwiches the pinch plate 70between the inner body sheet metal wall 202 and the clamp portion 66 tohold the support tower 18 in place. In embodiments of the presentinvention, the screw 74 is associated with lock washers and/or flatwashers. To enhance the interconnection of the support tower 18 to thevehicle, a support plate (see FIG. 11) may be interconnected to theframe extension 166 and the support tower.

FIGS. 31 and 32 show a sunroof insert 210 for interconnection to theroof rack 10 adjacent to the location of a vehicle sunroof that providesadditional storage space. The sun roof insert 210 of one embodiment ofthe present invention includes a plurality of ears 214 that engage alower roof rack tube 218 of the roof rack 10. The ears 214 work inconjunction with a clamp 222 to interconnect the sun roof insert 210 tothe roof rack 10. That is, the ears 214 and the clamp 222, with thebottom roof rack tube 218 therebetween, receive a bolt 226 that ishand-tightened by a knob 230 to affix the sunroof insert 210 to the roofrack 10. One of skill in the art will appreciate that otherinterconnection techniques and methods may be used without departingfrom the scope of the invention.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedin detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of thoseembodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Moreover, referencesmade herein to “the present invention” or aspects thereof should beunderstood to mean certain embodiments of the present invention andshould not necessarily be construed as limiting all embodiments to aparticular description. However, it is to be expressly understood thatsuch modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit ofthe present invention, as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A rotatable roof rack adapted for selectiveinterconnection to a vehicle, comprising: a roof rack having a forwardend, a rear end, and perimeter edges extending therebetween, the roofrack being rotatable between a first position and a second position, thefirst position being adjacent to a roof of a vehicle and in the secondposition the roof rack is pivoted away from the roof of the vehicle; asupport tower that is selectively securable to the vehicle, the supporttower comprising a first end and a second end, the first end including abase plate with a clamp portion to selectively secure the support towerto the vehicle, wherein the clamp portion includes a pinch plate thatselectively moves relative to the base plate to secure a body portion ofthe vehicle between the pinch plate and the base plate; and a supportbar extending between the roof rack and the support tower and comprisinga first end fixedly secured to the roof rack and a second end rotatablyconnected to the second end of the support tower, wherein the roof rackand the support bar are rotatable relative to the support tower, andwherein the roof rack and the support bar are not rotatable relative toone another.
 2. The rotatable roof rack of claim 1, further comprising aselectively removable ladder secured to the rear end of the roof rackand to the support bar.
 3. The rotatable roof rack of claim 2, whereinthe selectively removable ladder is rotatable with the roof rack and thesupport bar relative to the support tower, and wherein the selectivelyremovable ladder is not rotatable relative to the roof rack and thesupport bar.
 4. The rotatable roof rack of claim 1, further comprising asunroof insert selectively interconnected to the perimeter edges of theroof rack, wherein: the perimeter edges of the roof rack include a leftmember and a right member, the left and right members each extendingfrom the forward end to the rear end of the roof rack; and the sunroofinsert includes a clamp to affix the sunroof inset to the roof rack. 5.The rotatable roof rack of claim 1, further comprising an isolatorassociated with the support tower, and wherein the isolator comprises anon-metallic material operable to isolate the vehicle from vibration andabrasion from the roof rack.
 6. The rotatable roof rack of claim 1,wherein the second end of the support bar further comprises a flange torotatably connect the support bar to the second end of the supporttower, and wherein the flange includes an aperture to receive a bolt. 7.The rotatable roof rack of claim 1, wherein the forward end of the roofrack is selectively interconnected to a support frame positionedproximate to a windshield of the vehicle, and wherein the support frameremains positioned proximate to the windshield when the roof rack is inthe second position.
 8. The rotatable roof rack of claim 1, wherein thebase plate includes: a first portion that is oriented approximatelyhorizontally when the support tower is secured to the vehicle; and asecond portion interconnected to the first portion, the second portionoriented approximately vertically when the support tower is secured tothe vehicle, wherein the pinch plate selectively moves relative to thesecond portion to secure the body portion of the vehicle between thepinch plate and the second portion.
 9. A roof rack system adapted forselective interconnection to a vehicle, comprising: a front frame thatis selectively securable to the vehicle proximate to a windshield of thevehicle; a support tower that is selectively securable to a body portionof the vehicle proximate to a rear wheel of the vehicle, the supporttower comprising a support element and a base element, the base elementincluding: a first portion that is oriented approximately horizontallywhen the support tower is secured to the vehicle, wherein the supportelement extends from the first portion; and a second portioninterconnected to the first portion, the second portion orientedapproximately vertically when the support tower is secured to thevehicle; and a clamp portion with a pinch plate that is selectivelymoveable relative to the base element to press the body portion of thevehicle against the base element; a support bar comprising a first endthat is selectively securable to the support element of the supporttower and an upper portion; and a roof rack having a forward end, a rearend, and perimeter edges extending therebetween, the forward endselective securable to the front frame, the rear end selectivelysecurable to the upper portion of the support bar.
 10. The roof racksystem of claim 9, wherein the pinch plate is selectively moveable tosecure the body portion of the vehicle between the pinch plate and thesecond portion of the base element to secure the support tower to thevehicle.
 11. A roof rack system adapted for selective interconnection toa vehicle, comprising: a roof rack having a forward end, a rear end, afirst sidebar defining a first perimeter edge, and a second sidebardefining a second perimeter edge, the first and second sidebarsextending between the forward end and the rear end, the rear endcomprising a bar that extends from the first sidebar to the secondsidebar; a support structure with an upper portion interconnectable tothe roof rack and a lower portion including at least one pivot point,the support structure operably interconnectable to the vehicle, whereinthe roof rack is capable of movement from a first position of useadjacent to a roof of the vehicle to a second position of use away fromthe roof; and a ladder, comprising: a first rail; a second rail; a rungextending from the first rail to the second rail; a lower end; a lowerbracket at the lower end of the ladder, the lower bracketinterconnectable to the support structure by a first bolt; an upper end;and an upper bracket at the upper end of the ladder, the upper bracketinterconnectable to the roof rack by a second bolt, wherein the laddertravels with the roof rack as it moves from the first position of use tothe second position of use.
 12. The roof rack system of claim 11,wherein the ladder is adapted to be interconnected to only the roof rackand to the support structure and the ladder is not interconnected to thevehicle, wherein the ladder is adapted to be fixedly interconnected tothe roof rack in a non-rotating manner, and wherein the ladder isadapted to be fixedly interconnected to the support structure in anon-rotating manner.
 13. The roof rack system of claim 11, wherein thelower bracket extends from the first rail to the second rail, andwherein the upper bracket extends from the first rail to the secondrail.
 14. The roof rack system of claim 11, wherein, when interconnectedto the roof rack, the support structure extends from the first sidebarto the second sidebar.
 15. The roof rack system of claim 11, furthercomprising a rack bracket interconnected to the roof rack, wherein theupper bracket of the ladder is configured to be interconnected to therack bracket by the second bolt.
 16. The roof rack system of claim 15,wherein the support structure is formed separately from the roof rack,and wherein the ladder is formed separately from the support structureand the roof rack.
 17. The roof rack system of claim 15, wherein theladder does not interfere with movement of one or more of a swing gatetire carrier and a rear window of the vehicle.
 18. The roof rack systemof claim 11, wherein the upper bracket is generally planar, the lowerbracket is generally planar, and the upper bracket is orientedapproximately perpendicular to the lower bracket.
 19. The roof racksystem of claim 11, wherein the lower bracket is oriented approximatelyhorizontally when the roof rack is in the first position of use.
 20. Theroof rack system of claim 11, further comprising a support frameinterconnectable to the vehicle proximate to a windshield of thevehicle, wherein the forward end of the roof rack is selectivelyinterconnected to the support frame, and wherein the support frameremains positioned proximate to the windshield when the roof rack is inthe second position of use.